a. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to footwear, including, but not limited to, shoes, boots and open footwear. More specifically, it involves footwear with interchangeable heels that utilize full length or near full length bottom (heel) components and have unique connect and disconnect mechanisms. These footwear products will provide compatible designs and colors for many different styles of heels and will enable a user to interchange three, four or more different heel bottom components with a single top component and, vice versa, to use a single heel bottom component with many different top components.
b. Description of Related Art
The following patents and applications are representative of various types of footwear with interchangeable components:
U.S. Pat. No. 8,112,908 B2 to Visser describes a shoe with a removable and interchangeable heel that includes a first fixed heel disposed on a heel bottom portion of the shoe. The fixed heel includes a first fastener disposed therein. A second removable and interchangeable heel has a cooperating second fastener disposed therein that is engageable with the first fastener to secure the removable heel to the fixed heel, thereby increasing the effective height of the heel of the shoe.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,185,448 B2 to Schupbach describes a shoe that includes a sole member, at least one heel member, a front securing member, and optionally a forward tread member. Each heel member includes a column portion having a predetermined height and a blade portion having a predetermined slope. Each blade portion's slope corresponds to the respective column portion's height for providing a proper amount of arch support for a user's foot. The sole member has an arch region made of a flexible material that defines a sleeve for selectively receiving each respective blade portion. Each blade portion includes a flange extending longitudinally therealong, and the sleeve defines a complementary groove. When the sleeve receives a respective blade portion, the blade portion provides shape and structural support for the sole member. Means for releasably attaching the respective column portion to the sole member are utilized, and the front securing member may secure the sole member to the user's foot.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,858 to Srourian describes a two-piece shoe bottom system including a platform structure and a hollow interchangeable heel structure. The platform structure comprises a lower forepart portion, a raised rear heel portion, and a middle wedge portion connecting the forepart portion to the raised rear heel portion. The raised rear heel portion is elevated substantially above the forepart portion so that it will correspond to a particular height of the interchangeable heel structure. A reinforcing bolt member is molded to the underside of the raised heel portion of the platform structure. The hollow interchangeable heel structure is detachably attached to the reinforcing bolt member.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,138 to Durcho describes a replaceable high heel for use with a shoe having an upper and a sole and with a block downwardly extending from the lower portion of the sole adjacent to the heel and with a magnetic plate facing downwardly from the block, an improved replaceable heel having an upper surface with an upwardly facing recess therein and a magnetically responsive plate face upwardly on the lower surface of the recess.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,946 to Baum describes a shoe with an interchangeable heel that comprises two parts, a main sole part reinforced in its rear end section by a rigid plate and a separate heel part. The heel part is fitted to the reinforced section of the sole part by a ferrule, fixed to one part, having a projecting portion of non-circular cross-section which locates in an aperture of complementary shape in the other part so as to position and prevent rotation of the heel, and a removable locking element is provided to lock the heel part in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,478,264 to George et al describes an interchangeable heel and heel tap arrangement with an attaching plate on the bottom of a shoe for attachment and removal of a heel that utilizes a resilient latch.
United States Patent Application No. 2011/0119954 to Ortiz describes a safety replaceable heel mechanism that is used to adjust the height of women's shoes. The mechanism comprises a shoe sole, a removable heel comprising a heel connector and a interchangeable heel, and a locking key to securely connect the removable heel to the shoe sole. The heel is detached and the shoe can be worn without the heel, providing a pair of shoes suitable for different occasions. The invention is provides a stable structure avoiding unwanted movement of the removable heel for adjusting the comfort of a particular pair of shoes during the course of a day.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.